In Faith - In Christ - In Israel

“Before the birth pains even begin, Jerusalem gives birth to a son. Who has ever seen anything as strange as this? Who ever heard of such a thing? Has a nation ever been born in a single day? Has a country ever come forth in a mere moment? But by the time Jerusalem’s birth pains begin, her children will be born. [Isaiah 66.7-8]

In light of what has been revealed recently regarding "in faith - in Christ - in Israel," this passage from Isaiah's prophecy seems to make supporting claims.

As Jerusalem is understood to be the "center" of the Jewish people (collectively, Israel), it can be understood to represent Israel as the nation to whom Christ is born. As I have suggested before, Israel serves as the "arrow" (if you will) that points to Messiah (Jesus was born of a virgin, however the lineage of Israel prophetically pointed to Him).

Here is an interesting question: how can a nation be born in a day if that nation points to the One Who Is the nation that is born?

Answer: the original physical nation served as only a shadow of the spiritual nation to come! The nation that was born in a single day was Jesus! Jesus is a "nation" in all who are in Him!

Jesus bore this out when speaking to the religious national leaders of Israel:

I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. [Matthew 21.43]

But before Jesus' Advent, the Psalmist made the following statement:

What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. [Psalm 33.12]

Psalm 33.12 must be read with Jesus in mind as Jesus said the Scriptures point to Him (John 5.39).

The problem surrounding most "Israel-as-a-nation" thinking today is a very basic misunderstanding of what Jesus made clear in John 5.39. 

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

As I suggested here and elsewhere that Israel served as an "arrow" pointing to Jesus, I will also add that the nation of Israel could be understood as the "box" through which Jesus was prophetically delivered to the world. 

There is a commonly-observed tendency among infants that when given a boxed gift, they often fixate on the box leaving the gift off to the side... The spiritual allegory of this is real.

I make no pretense here of explaining the entire mystery of Israel in this setting. However, to focus on Israel without seeing Christ can only yield the same undesirable results as throwing the gift away and keeping the box.

Father, may my understanding of Israel be ever subject to Your Truth. Help me to learn from You and Your Word as guided by Your Holy Spirit!